Silver has accompanied the Jewish festive calendar for centuries. Not as decoration, but because certain rituals require a vessel: a goblet for the blessing, a plate for the symbolic foods, a pitcher for ritual washing. This category features ritual objects made of solid 925 sterling silver, crafted by Zaramella Argenti in Padua.
What is here — and why
The items are categorized by the occasions for which they are used.
For Passover, there is the Seder plate with its six labeled indentations for the symbolic foods and the Cup of Elijah — available individually, with a matching plate, and as a set.
For Shabbat and the holidays, there is the Kiddush cup for the blessing over the wine, the Challah plate for the two braided loaves, candlesticks for the two lights of the day of rest, and the vessels for ritual hand washing: the Netilat vessel before, and the Mayim Achronim set after.
For Hanukkah, the Hanukkiah with its nine lights — eight for the eight nights, plus the Shamash for kindling. There are four versions available, from approx. 65 to 76 cm, with a round or square base. What distinguishes it from the Menorah is explained below; the confusion is common enough that it is worth reading.
The Cup of Elijah
On Seder night, there are four cups of wine on the table from which one drinks — representing the four promises of liberation: I will bring you out. I will rescue you. I will redeem you. I will take you to be my people.
A fifth cup is also filled, but not drunk. It belongs to the prophet Elijah. At one point during the evening, the front door is opened — a gesture welcoming the harbinger of future redemption. The fifth expression, I will bring you, is yet to come; this is what this cup represents.
Its shape follows from this function. The Kos shel Eliyahu is significantly larger than a Kiddush cup — it is meant to be seen, not held. In this category, the Eliyahu cups range from 23 to 51 cm in height, while Kiddush cups measure 9 to 10 cm. If you find a 30 cm cup, it is not a Kiddush cup.
Many cups stand on their own plate. It catches any overflow when filling to the brim and elevates the cup from the table. Both parts are offered individually or as a set.
This is more than just a matter of packaging: it makes the pieces expandable. Anyone starting with a cup can purchase the plate years later — the workshop permanently carries both under one model number. This is often the path taken with inherited cups, as the corresponding plate is usually lost over the generations.
The same logic applies to the sizes. The Eliyahu cup is available in five heights, with several models additionally available in a simpler "Light" version and with partially gold-plated ornamentation. Collectors will find series here that can be completed; those looking for just one piece will not be overwhelmed by the selection — every product page mentions its counterparts and the differences.
Hanukkiah, not Menorah
The two candelabra are often confused, but the difference is distinct.
The Menorah has seven branches. It was the lampstand of the Temple and remains an emblem of Judaism to this day — in the state emblem of Israel as well as on ancient mosaics. Since the destruction of the Temple, creating a replica is considered impermissible.
The Hanukkiah has nine branches and is used for Hanukkah: eight lights for the eight nights, plus the Shamash — the "servant." It is used to light the others; it does not count itself and is therefore placed offset, usually elevated in the center. You can recognize it immediately by sight: nine nozzles in a row, with one raised above the line.
We identify our candelabra technically correctly as a Hanukkiah, even where manufacturers call them a "Menorah" — in the Zaramella catalog, all four nine-branched pieces are called "Menorah, 9 Lights," which is simply incorrect.
The four versions differ in width and base shape:
For Shabbat, there are single-arm candlesticks, which are set up in pairs — for Zachor and Shamor, the remembering and observing of the day of rest.
A note on distinguishing: Multi-armed candelabra in the collection may also have nine or more lights. They are still not Hanukkiot — their arms stand in a uniform arrangement around the shaft, rather than eight at one level with an elevated ninth. Once you have seen the arrangement, you will distinguish them immediately.
Ritual hand washing
Two different vessels, two different moments. Before the blessing over the bread, there is the Netilat Yadayim: the vessel has two handles so that one can grasp it alternately with one hand and the other, without touching the already washed hand with the unwashed one.
Mayim Achronim refers to the hand washing after the meal. For this, there is the typical set of a small pitcher and basin, which is passed around the table.
Even without prior knowledge
Some of these pieces are purchased by people who do not observe the occasion. This is not a misunderstanding. A hand-chased silver goblet of 33 cm is an object before it is a ritual item — it stands in a display case, on a sideboard, in a collection of Italian silver, and works there regardless of which evening it might one day be used for.
That is why every product page explains both: what the piece does in the ritual, and why it is built the way it is built. Why an Eliyahu cup must be large and a Kiddush cup small. Why a hand-washing vessel has two handles. Why cups are gold-plated on the inside. These reasons are practical in nature — they are understandable without religious prior knowledge, and they make the design logical.
Anyone who gives such a piece as a gift passes on both: the object and its explanation.
Material and Craftsmanship
All pieces are made of 925 sterling silver — 925 parts fine silver per 1,000.
Goblets are almost entirely gold-plated on the inside. There is a craft reason for this: gold does not react with wine, so neither the taste suffers nor does the interior wall tarnish — where it could not be polished.
The ornaments are chased: driven into the silver by hand with punches, strike by strike. Unlike stamping, chased work has real depth, and no section repeats the previous one exactly. The pieces come from the Signature line, the richly worked hallmark of the house.
What these pieces look like
All items in this category come from one line and therefore share a common design language. It is classically Italian: what the Renaissance adopted from antiquity returns here on goblets, plates, and candlesticks.
The acanthus leaf — serrated, curled at the tips — forms the continuous scrollwork; it has adorned column capitals since Greek antiquity. The volute, that coiled snail-like spiral, sits at the transition from shaft to base. The beading, a band of small hemispheres, closes off edges to the outside. Cartouches — framed fields — segment long edges and simultaneously provide the best surface for an engraving.
With the goblets, there is the knop: a knob in the middle of the shaft, which ritual equipment has carried since the Middle Ages. It gives the hand a grip and divides the height so that a tall piece does not look elongated.
The finish can be chosen in two stages. Partially gold-plated pieces have the raised ornament parts accented with fine gold — festive, high-contrast, and becoming more distinct over the years, because silver darkens and gold does not. The Light versions take the opposite path: they carry the chasing only on the base and rim and leave the center smooth. Both are crafted equally well; it is a question of preference, not value.
Zaramella Argenti
The workshop has been operating since 1948 in Ronchi di Villafranca near Padua, now in its third generation. It crafts both secular tableware and ritual equipment and supplies specialty retailers across Europe. SilberKosmos is an official retailer.
For what occasion
Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah. At thirteen or twelve years of age, a child reaches religious maturity in the community — the occasion for which ritual silver is most frequently gifted. A Kiddush cup is the classic gift here: it is used from this day on, for a lifetime, and bears names and dates on the base rim. It often comes from grandparents or godparents.
For a wedding. A couple sets up a Shabbat for the first time themselves and needs the basic equipment: goblet, Challah plate, a pair of candlesticks. Because such pieces are at the higher end of the price range, they are well-suited for multiple guests to contribute together — a set of goblet and plate is an obvious choice for this.
For housewarming and dedication. Those moving into a house often receive a piece for the table where they will celebrate in the future. Here, too, the rule applies: it doesn't have to be the largest one — it can be supplemented later.
Engraving
Many pieces have smooth zones that can accommodate an engraving — a name, a date, a dedication. With ritual objects, this is common: they are given for Bar and Bat Mitzvah, for weddings, or at birth and are later passed down through the family. An engraving turns the equipment into a family heirloom.
We check in advance which surface is suitable and coordinate size and position with you. Upon request, we will include a free SilberVerse card — a specially written verse with 3–4 lines about the occasion and names, in your desired language, printed as a 15 × 10 cm photo card in a standard frame in silver, white, or black.
Care
By hand with warm water, mild detergent, and a soft cloth, then dry thoroughly — including the inside. No dishwasher: cleaning salts attack silver, and moisture remains in the chased indentations. Rinse quickly after wine.
Tarnishing is not damage, but a reaction with sulfur in the air, and is reversible with a silver cloth. The darker depth may remain in the indentations — it gives the ornament its plasticity. More in the guide on the care of silver cutlery and silver tableware.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Elijah cups and Kiddush cups differ?
In use and size. One drinks from the Kiddush cup; it is small, usually 9 to 10 cm. The Cup of Elijah is filled but not drunk from, and is significantly larger — ours are 23 to 51 cm.
Is a Menorah the same as a Hanukkiah?
No. The Menorah has seven branches and is the Temple lampstand. The Hanukkiah has nine — eight lights and the Shamash — and is used for Hanukkah.
Should I have items engraved?
Yes, for many pieces. We check in advance which surface is suitable and coordinate the design with you.
At a glance
- ✦ 925 sterling silver, solid
- ✦ Goblets gold-plated on the inside — gold does not react with wine
- ✦ Ornaments hand-chased, not stamped
- ✦ Zaramella Argenti, Padua — workshop since 1948
- ✦ Goblets, plates, and sets — available individually and expandable later
- ✦ Elijah cups in five heights, plain or partially gold-plated
- ✦ Every product page explains use and shape — understandable even without prior knowledge
- ✦ Engraving possible upon review; SilberVerse card free upon request
You might also be interested in
The entire line can be found in the category Signature by Zaramella. For the secular table, there is the tableware & silver dishes, the silver trays, and the candlesticks & candelabra. How these objects relate and why they look the way they do is explained in the article Silver at the Jewish Table.
